Improvement in permutation-padlocks



T FOX. Permutation Padlock.

No.198,596. Patented Dec. 25,1877.

N, PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPNER. WASHING'ION D C PATENT Or'r'ron.

fTHOMAS Fox; on rinw nnrrnnv, connncrrcur, ASSIGNOR O'F ONE-HALF'HIS'RIGHT TO-"JAMES JOSEPH FITZGERRELL.

IM PROVEM'E NlT lN" PE RM U'TATlON-PADLOCKS.

I Specification forming part of Iietters Patent No. 198,596, datedDecember 25, 1877 application filed November 6, 1877.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS Fox, of .New Britain, in the county ofHartford and-State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Oombinatiom- Padlocks; and I do hereby declare thatthefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebe1ng 'had' to 'the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersofireference marked thereon,-whicl1 form a part--of this specification.

I of the lock the front plate being removed.

Fig. 2 .is a longitudinal section through the hasp-bolt, operating-knob,its accompanying mechanism, and the case, showing the relative positionof the various parts of the lock. Fig. 3 shows the back of the lock withthe carrying-plate to which the rotating tumblers and change-wheels areattached. Fig. 4 exhibits the same part of the lock-case with thecarrying-plate removed. Fig. 5 represents the drivewheel attached to thespindle of the operatingknob. Fig. 6 is a side view of one of therotating tumblers. Fig. 7 represents one of the change-wheels, and Fig.8 shows one of the washers placed between each pair of changewheels androtating tumblers to prevent their impinging upon each other.

The case of this padlock is similar to those commonly used for thisclass of locks by manufacturers, consisting of a back case, having thesides and suitable studs cast thereon, to which the working parts of thelook, as well as the front plate, are attached. This case is representedin the drawings by the letter A, and is pierced with the large circularorifice a, for the passage of the operating parts attached to thecarrying-plate G and concentric slots a, through which the hooks b, bywhich the plate is secured to the case, pass. Projecting into the lockfrom the carrying-plate is a sleeve, 0, upon which the rotating tumblersd revolve.

These tumblers are circular in form and have 'a'notch, d, in theirperiphery for the reception of the bolt-carrying dog z. They are furtherprovided with the pins 6 and e, the first ;of which enters the spacebetween the teeth of the change-wheels O, and the other acts as a driverby'its contact with-the tongue 0' of the change -whee1 when the tumbleris rotated. These change-wheels O are of annular form, having-a centralorifice large enough to allow them to he slipped upon the sleeve 0, andprovided with teeth or cogs about their periphcries, between which thepin a of the tumblers passes. They have also an elongated tongue, i,against which the pin 6 of the tumblers strikes when they are rotated.

In order to prevent one pair of tumblers and change-wheels from beingturned by the friction of the adj acentpair when rotated, awasher, .9,having a flat side or key way fitting to a corresponding flat side orkey upon the sleeve 0, is placed between them. Entering the sleeve fromthe front side of the lock is the spindle h, which projects from theoperating-knob D, and forms the axis upon which the latter rotates. Adriving-wheel, d, is also attached to or formed upon the knob D, androtates just within the front case B. It is provided with a driving-pin,e, which, as it is rotated, comes in contact with the tongue upon thefirst changewheel of the series of change-wheels and tumblers which maybe upon the sleeve, and the first tumbler communicates its motion to thesecond pair, and so on through as many pairs as may be employed in thelock.

Encircling the orifice in the front plate through which theoperating-knob passes is the dial-plate, by which the movement of theknob is governed, as in the ordinary method employed in this class oflocks.

Pivoted upon the standard 9, which is attached to the sliding bolt H, isa dog, I, the front end of which is T-shaped, so that, when the bolt ispushed forward or locked, one part of the end shall pass behind the lugk, which is fast to the case, and acts as a guide to the 'bolt, thusefiectually preventing the pushing back of the bolt, while the oppositeend of the T part of the dog rides upon the periphery of the rotatingtumbler until the notches d are all in juxtaposition, when it falls intothem, thus withdrawing the opposite part of the dog from behind the lugk, and allowing the bolt to be withdrawn from its notch in the hasp by afurther rotation of the knob. A spring, m, is coiled around the standardm, one end of it being in such a position as to bear against the end ofthe hasp E when the latter is inserted inthe look, so as to throw it outthe instant the bolt is withdrawn sufliciently to relieve it. Anotherspring, n, is coiled about the standard n, and bears against the squarerear end of the dog, causing the opposite end to bear steadily upon theperiphery of the tumblers at all times, ready to fall into the notchesthe instant they are in line.

It will be observed that the lugs or projections 1) upon thecarrying-plate O are hookshaped, so that when the plate is in its properposition, and the hasp locked, the lugs will hook over the case A, andthe end of the hasp will bear against one of the lugs b, so as toeffectually prevent its retraction thus securing all parts of the lockfirmly in place, no matter what the position in which it may be turned.

The method of operating this lock is identical with that of others ofits class, and therefore needs no detailed description; but itsadvantages may be summed up as follows: first, the method of attachingthe change-wheels and tumblers to a removable plate, which can bereadily taken out and the combination changed whenever it is unlocked;secondly, in securely fastening the removable plate and bolt wheneverthe locking has been accomplished; and, thirdly, in the construction ofthe change-wheels, which, while they retain their eflectiveness, may bevery cheaply produced by being cut with suitable dies from a sheet ofmetal of proper thickness.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, the following:

1. The toothed change-wheel 0 herein described, provided with finger 43,in combination with rotating tumblers provided with pins.

2. The removable plate 0, provided with hooks b, in combination with thecentrally-perforated and slotted case Aand hasp E, all the parts beingarranged so that in locking the hasp it shall bear directly upon thehook b, thereby preventing the rotation of the plate, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature this 19th dayof October, 1877,

in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS FOX.

Witnesses:

J. J. FITZGERRELL, M. E. FITZGERRELL.

